


Mass Affection (A series of one-shots)

by GeoffrytheButtler



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Mass Effect 1, No Spoilers, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-10 10:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4387898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeoffrytheButtler/pseuds/GeoffrytheButtler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will contain no (or minimal) spoilers for the Mass Effect games.</p><p> I'll mostly be writing in the Mass Effect 1 universe, as it's the only game I have completed thus far. Any spoilers for future games will be mentioned in the notes before the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bleeding Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this first one for my boyfriend while he's away at training. He's the one who introduced me to the Mass Effect series, and I couldn't thank him more for it.
> 
> He also ships Shepard with like, all the girls in the game. So, here's a little Tali/Male Shepard for ya guys.

   “Don’t bleed on my floor.” Dr. Chakwas called from where she was patching up another patient, referring to the currently hemorrhaging Commander Shepard, who chuckled in response.

 “I’ll do my best.” He said as he made his way over to the med kit on the wall, which contained more than enough medigel to hold him over until the doctor could better attend his wounds. He slowly stripped off his clothing, wincing as he revealed a body riddled with both fresh scars and old, along with some deep enough cuts to cause a bit of bleeding.

 It had been a mission gone awry: they were simply supposed to be doing some reconnaissance on a batarian base which had stirred up quite a bit of suspicion with the alliance, but one of the rookies had slipped up and stepped on a trip wire, alerting the mercs inside to the alliance’s presence. It was all downhill from there.

 “Better not; the cleanup crew is busy trying to fix a mess in one of the lower levels, and I can’t be bothered to do it myself, which would leave you in charge of cleaning up after yourself.” She shot the man a side glance, and his jaw dropped in mock horror.

 “Me? Clean up after myself? How dare you suggest such a thing? Do you not know who I am?”

 “It’d be pretty hard not to know who you are Shepard, especially with a mug like that.” Came Garrus’ teasing voice as he entered the medical center, giving his commanding officer something of a smirk. Shepard snorted in response, muttering a curse under his breath as he continued to patch himself up.

 “Garrus, what can I do for you?” Dr. Chakwas asked, finally finished with her patient and passing her off to one of the hands. She glanced the turian up and down, frowning. “You don’t seem to be hurt.”

 “Uh, no, I’m not, I was simply looking for Shepard. I wanted to make sure he was okay.” The turian said, and the doctor peered at him for a moment. Garrus remained rigid under her gaze, until she turned away with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Same rules apply, don’t bleed on my floor.”

 “Such a lovely woman isn’t she?” Shepard chided as she left.

 “Simply the best.” The alien agreed, beginning to focus solely on Shepard. “You and I need to talk.”

 Shepard’s eyebrow shot up. “Why? Something wrong, Garrus?” He lowered his voice, careful not to let anyone overhear their conversation.

 “I’d prefer not to discuss the matters here, are you able to walk?”

 The commander nodded, pulling his clothing back on and frowning at the many tears it had received in battle. Garrus lent a helping hand in escorting the commander out of the medical center, opting for the commander’s chambers instead, where he knew they were not likely to be bothered. He placed Shepard as carefully as he could on the couch, while he remained standing.

 “Alright Vakarian, lay it on me.” Shepard said, relaxing back into his soft couch with a loud sigh.

 “It’s Tali. I’m worried about her; she hasn’t been exhibiting her normal behavior, and since you two seem to be quite close, I figured it’d be best for you to speak with her.” Garrus spoke quickly and clearly, but Shepard was stuck on one thing. _Garrus? Worried about Tali?_ Something really must be wrong for the turian to be the one pointing this out. Not to say that he and Tali weren’t friends; however, Shepard knew their interaction was quite limited.

 And he felt a pang of guilt that he hadn’t been the one to pick up on it.

 “I’ll talk to her, see what’s going on. Thank you for notifying me, Garrus.” Garrus nodded his head once, before dismissing himself. Shepard remained where he was, trying to think. What could possibly be bothering Tali? The quarian was always so bright and happy whenever Shepard was around, and she usually opened up to him about the issues she was facing: her inability to sleep, her being homesick, the accusation of treason, all of it. So what was the issue now? And why hadn’t she come to him about it?

 He stood, determined to go find out what was bothering her. She was bound to open up to him, even if it took a little bit of time for her to do so.

 

 “Come on Tali, you know you can talk to me about anything.”

 “Yes, I am aware of this, but,”

 “But what? Are you feeling homesick again?”

 “No, Shepard, that’s not it.”

 “Then what is it?”

 Tali tilted her head downwards, not speaking. Shepard did his best to hold back a sigh, but he was growing a bit irritated by Tali’s lack of communication. They had been at this for the last twenty minutes, Tali always dodging the commander’s questions with her own. But he wasn’t having it. He was unwavering in his intentions.

 “I was just, thinking. After my pilgrimage is over, I will no longer be a part of the Normandy. I will be off to be with my own people once more.” She said, her voice quiet. “And, I will likely never see you, or this wonderful crew, again.”

 Shepard drew in a breath, placing his hands before him on the table. “Tali,” He paused, licking his lips as he tried to put the words he wanted to say together. “Just because we’re not going to see each other doesn’t mean we have to lose contact,” The commander explained. “After all, you’re always welcome to send me a line or two, and I’ll be sure to do the same for you.”

 “Yes, but I’m afraid it simply won’t be the same.” The quarian tilted her face upwards again, and Shepard focused on where he assumed her eyes should be. “You must understand, Shepard, I come from a people who have become accustomed to being a very tight knit community; we enjoy interaction, face to face and physical,” She sighed, “I’m afraid simply writing will not be as much the same. And besides, I will be so busy aboard the next flotilla I am to join, that I may not always have time to communicate such a way with you.”

 Shepard nodded, running a hand through his short hair. She was right; it was unlikely that they would talk often, if ever, and even less so to run into one another. Once quarians were aboard their ships, it was unlikely for them to leave unless it was for a mission.

 “I see you now understand.” Tali pointed out, and the commander gave her a half smile, half grimace. “My apologies, Shepard, I do not mean to burden you with my problems.”

 “No, don’t be sorry Tali, please,” He reached out, taking her hand in his own across the table. She was shocked at the gesture, but didn’t pull away. Instead, she tightened her own grasp on the commander’s hands, happy that there was no one else to witness the exchange. “Listen, I know that you’ve grown to love this ship and its crew, and trust me, we care for you too,” _Some of us more than others._ He added silently. “But you and I both know you’re going to get on your new ship, and probably forget all about us back here on the Normandy. You’ll make new friends, find your place, raise your own family,” He struggled to control his breathing at the last part, but he continued. “And most of all, you’ll be happy.”

 Tali smiled beneath her mask, glad it blocked the tears that threatened to spill over. “You’re right Shepard.” She pulled her hand away from her commander’s, cheering up a bit. “Thank you, I feel much better now. Although, I’ll always miss you all back here. I’m afraid life on the flotilla isn’t as exciting as life on the Normandy.”

 Shepard smiled. “Well, let’s make the most of your days here while we still can, huh?”

 Tali nodded, and stood. “Yes, I would like that very much. Now if you’ll excuse me Shepard, I’m off to go back to the engine room.” Shepard watched her go, remaining silent until she was out of sight. He took a deep breath, placing his face in his hands.

 He remained there a few moments, until the effects of the medigel began to wear off, and he had to force himself to go back to the medical center. But no amount of painkillers could numb the pain he was going through.


	2. Drunken Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second part to "Bleeding Hearts"

Hours gave way to days, and days to weeks, until a full month passed. A month since Shepard and Tali had spoken about her leaving, and with each passing day, he knew the inevitable grew closer. He tried to push it down, keep his mind occupied with other things, but it was difficult. Especially when he had to walk by the same person who he couldn’t stop thinking about a few times a day.

They kept their exchanges short, curt nods at the least, “How are you”s at the most. Both always had something to do that would pull them away from any overly stimulating conversation. Lest Shepard let something slip. But the stress was beginning to take its toll on him, and his crew was beginning to take notice.

“Commander, is everything all right?” Shepard’s head shot up from where he had it resting in his hand, a cold drink in the other, to see Ashley Alenko standing before him, her stance rigid.

He waved his hand at her, looking back down at his drink. “At ease, Alenko.” The woman softened her stance, deciding to take a seat across from Shepard.

“Permission to speak freely, commander?”

“Permission granted.” Came the commander’s reluctant reply.

“You look stressed, commander.” Ashley said, glancing quickly at the drink before Shepard raised his head.

“I’m fine, Ashley, I just need some rest.” He brought the drink to his lips and downed it in one go, the taste numbing his other senses for a moment. The asaris sure knew how to make a good brew. The man looked across the table at Ashley, her eyes filled with disapproval.

“And you think that is going to help?” Ashley asked as she nodded her head towards the now empty glass. Shepard partially glared at her, his eyesight was beginning to haze over.

“How I decide to handle my problems is my business.”

“I disagree, commander, seeing as you’re a man of high standing on this ship, as well as in the council, and should be able to handle his problems responsibly, rather than simply drowning them out with alcohol.”

“Hey,” Shepard set his glass down with a little more force than necessary, and Ashley shifted in her seat. “Watch yourself, Alenko, I granted your permission I can just as easily take it away.”

“Apologies, commander.” The woman grit her teeth, waiting a moment before she spoke again.

“Apology accepted.” Shepard slurred, sighing heavily. He set his head in his hands again, closing his eyes as he tried to get a handle on himself.

“Really though, commander, I would hope that you’re comfortable enough with me to be able to trust that I could help you with whatever problem you’re having.” Ashley offered, but Shepard shook his head, standing.

“Thank you, Ashley, but I need to handle this one on my own.” He pushed the half empty bottle her way, walking off towards the crew’s quarters. Ashley watched him as he stumbled out, before turning her attention to the bottle. She tsked in displeasure, picking up the bottle and dumping it out in the sink nearby. Really, she never saw the appeal of this stuff.

“Tali, can I speak with you a moment?” Shepard asked, half-knocking and half-pounding on Tali’s door. His body was heavy, and he had to lean against the outer part of the door to keep his balance. He heard footsteps from inside, light and dainty, and broke out into a smile. Tali opened the door, and her head cocked to the side at the sight of her commander.

“Shepard, what are you- Keelah! Have you been drinking?” The quarian exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth piece as she struggled to block out the strong stench. Shepard moved into the room, closing the door behind him. Tali noticed this, and her voice grew heavy with worry. “Shepard?”

“You can’t go.” Shepard blurted, his mouth slurring the words quite a bit. He went to repeat himself, but Tali beat him to it.

“Can’t go? Shepard, where am I going?” She asked, confused.

“You can’t leave, you should just, stay here, with the Normandy, we’ll be your family.” Shepard stumbled forward, and the small quarian quickly caught him, setting him down on her bed as she stood before him. “You can’t,” the man struggled to speak, his throat closing up.

“Shepard, you’re drunk, just lay here and-“

“No! Not before I tell you what I want to tell you!” Once more, Shepard’s hands found Tali’s, holding them tight, and he brought them to his chest, pressing her hand against his heart. The quarian felt the organ beneath the layers of fabric he wore, finding it to be abnormally fast, especially considering the circumstances. “Listen, Tali,” He looked up to her, eyes searching her mask, desperate to find hers. “I like you, a lot more than I should, and I know that it’s probably not mutual, but at the moment I’m too drunk to care.

“You’re amazing, Tal’, there’s no other way for me to put it. You’re just, you, and you’re everything I want right now,” He had to catch his breath, his lips trembling. “I can’t lose you Tali, I’ve lost so much already, so many people I became close to, only to have them ripped out of my life like sheets of paper from a notebook. There’s still parts of them there, but it’s never enough. I don’t want you to be that way. I want you to stay here, with me, with us, this crew, we could be your family! We could make you happy!”

It wasn’t until he was through that he realized how hard he was holding Tali’s hands. He loosened his grip, only to find hers tightening. The man glanced at their hands, his thumb running absent mindedly over the suit, wishing he could feel the skin underneath, before Tali snapped him back into the present. “I’m sorry, Shepard. But I can’t stay here. No matter how much I want to.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and Shepard knew he had screwed up. “My people, they need me. And I can’t just turn my back on them. And, I’ve grown up too long on my flotilla, with the community, all the quarians in one place, I just don’t feel completely at home here. You must understand,” The quarian begged, dropping to her knees before him. “I would give anything to be with you, this crew, but, I simply can’t.”

Shepard breathed deeply, looking towards the ceiling as he fought back tears. “I understand, Tali.” His eyes shut tight, his stomach threatening to turn on him. He stood, looking everywhere but at her. “I’ll leave you be, you probably want to get some rest.” Shepard began to stumble towards the door, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him short.

“Shepard? Please don’t go. I would really enjoy some company tonight.” Came Tali’s gentle voice, and the man smiled to himself, turning back to her and enveloping her in a hug.

“Of course, Tali.” He whispered, kissing where he assumed her temple was. “Anything for you.”


	3. El Tango de Vakarian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fem Shepard/ Garrus Vakarian dancing because I needed adorable and slightly awkward Garrus in my life.
> 
> My boyfriend doesn't understand my feelings
> 
> "It's just so weird, because you're like, 'Oh babe, you're so hot, but so is this bird-looking-alien thing."- Almost direct quote from him
> 
> It's those damn subvocals. So hawt.

            “Garrus, you’ve been standing against this wall all night. Come on, when are you finally going to show us what the turians can do?” The turian in question was quite surprised to hear his commander’s voice, and he had to quickly mask his startled features as he looked over at Elizabeth Shepard, his commanding officer.

She had exchanged her usual armor for something much fancier, and quite more form fitting: a strapless floor length black dress that hugged all the right curves in all the right places, her usually pinned back red hair fell about her shoulders in loose curls, framing perfectly her scarred face, which currently sported an amused look.

 Garrus looked down at his feet, shifting uncomfortably. He pulled at his collar, cleared his throat before he looked back up at Elizabeth.

“I’m not really the dancing type, Shepard. I believe you humans often use the expression, ‘I was born with two left feet.’” The turian explained, watching the commander’s lips curl further in a smile.

“Wow, I never knew you could tell the difference between one foot and another.” Garrus glared harshly at her. “Oh stop, I’m sure it’s not that bad. Maybe you’ve just never had the right dancing partner.” The woman winked.

Garrus’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Shepard?”

“Come on Garrus, let’s just see how “bad” you really are.”

Before he could object, the turian felt himself being pulled forward, towards the dance floor, where a number of other races were dancing together, bodies pressed tight against one another; he’d never seen such a mix before. He felt his breathing began to quicken as he was pulled deep into the sea of bodies, the music picking up in speed as Shepard finally found a spot where they could dance comfortably.

“Alright, now just follow my steps, I’ll lead, and maybe then you can take over.

“Shepard, I’m really not sure-“

“Garrus, if you call me Shepard one more time, I’ll do something to completely embarrass you.”

“You’re not embarrassing me already?”

“Garrus.”

“Alright, what would you prefer for me to call you for the evening?”

The woman seemed to think for a moment, before meeting his eyes. “Elizabeth.” Garrus smiled, but he wasn’t able to enjoy the moment long. He felt the woman’s body move against him, slowly at first, before slowly picking up speed. He looked down at their bodies pressed close together, before noticing the way the commander’s feet moved, and began to mirror those. When she stepped back, he stepped forward. Her left, his right.

“Good, you’re getting the hang of it.” Garrus glared as best as he could at the woman before him without taking his eyes off their feet for too long. “Now, let’s step it up.” The turian felt his hands being shifted, one hand in Shepard’s, the other on her waist. They kept the same pace, the same rhythm, but something changed. He felt more confident, strangely, and he began to slowly take over the movement of the steps. He was able to finally look away from his feet, blue eyes meeting green, eliciting smiles and breathless chuckles, something moving just beneath the skin.

They moved almost effortlessly; Garrus could at least manage not to step on Shepard’s toes, and he was quite happy about that. “Not too bad Garrus, tell me, what was that you said about being born with two left feet?” The commander teased, and Garrus chuckled again.

“Please, on my planet, this type of dancing is child’s play.”

“Really now? Well, you’ll have to take me to one of your extravagant turian balls sometime.”

“Yes,” He leaned in, placing his face close to the commander’s ear, and he could hear her breathing hitch. “I will. However, I’m not quite sure that you’d be able to handle the beauty of some of the females on my planet.” He drew back, mandibles pulling back in something that resembled a grin when he saw Elizabeth’s slightly offended look.

It settled into a tight smirk, and Garrus knew he was in for it. “I feel like it’s to be expected, I mean, you were already the ugliest looking thing on your planet, and then you had to join my crew?”

“Alright, I deserved that one.” Garrus muttered almost inaudibly.

 Elizabeth tossed her head back in laughter, her creamy skin catching the light perfectly as she extended her neck. If Garrus had lips, he’d have been biting them, trying to hold himself back from kissing his commanding officer, and stopped himself from horribly embarrassing himself in front of everyone.

But he didn’t, so he didn’t. It was, awkward, to say the least. She really wasn’t expecting it, so when Garrus pressed his mouth against Shepard’s lips, he really just smushed her lips in the least sexy way possible.

He pulled away almost as quickly as it happened, quickly letting go of Shepard and backing up, bumping into the others in the crowd, who all turned and looked angrily, muttering “Watch it” and “Hey!”

 Elizabeth continued to stand there, for a moment, watching Garrus take off, fighting his way through the crowd.

 

“What the hell was that, Vakarian?” Garrus looked up from where he stood, confused to hear Joker’s voice over the intercom. He was in the back of the Normandy SR-2, working hard on some calibrations as he tried to get his mind off things.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re speaking of, Moreau.” The turian said, returning his focus back to his work. If he could blush, he would.

“Bull shit, you know exactly what I’m talking about! You kissed Shepard!”

Garrus nearly punched through the screen. “We are not speaking about this over the intercom!”

“Don’t worry, I’m only hooked up to the area where you are right now, only you, I and EDI can hear what I’m saying.”

Garrus turned around, walking over to the small hub where he could summon EDI. “Mr. Moreau is correct; only you and he can hear your conversation. I of course am simply a third party.” EDI explained, and Garrus knew she was probably recording everything they were saying so as to be used for her study of human behavior.

“See? Nothing to worry about. Now, tell me everything.”

“How about you tell me how you found out about the kiss in the first place?” _If you could even call it a kiss._

“I have my ways.” Garrus could hear the smirk in Joker’s voice, and part of him began to suspect that he must have hacked into the security cameras of the club. “You ran pretty fast after it. You afraid the commander doesn’t like you or something?”

“Eliza- Shepard, and I have a very professional relationship. What I did was stupid, and I regret ever having done it.” The turian said, feeling the weight of embarrassment begin to pile up on him more and more. “She’s probably going to kill me as soon as she finds me. Or worse.”

“Or maybe she won’t. You worry too much Garrus; sure, you kissed Commander Shepard who’s basically your boss, and will probably end up getting teased about it for the next couple months or maybe even years, but it was just a kiss. Blame it on the heat of the moment.” Joker said, and Garrus couldn’t disagree. As embarrassing as that was, it happened, and there was nothing he could do about it now. He might as well just-

“Vakarian!” Oh spirits. Garrus turned around quickly, and wished he hadn’t. Elizabeth had returned, holding her heels in one hand and the front of her dress in the other as she approached the turian, with a less than delighted look on her face.

“Commander Shepard, I want to formally apologize for what happened; it was completely out of line and I-“ Garrus didn’t have time to finish his sentence. He felt a pair of soft lips on his mouth, moving against him with a feverish hunger. He wrapped his arms around Shepard’s waist, holding her close as he struggled to close the distance in between them, tongue moving into her mouth and giving her the kiss he had wanted to previously give her. She pulled away, and met his eyes.

“Apologize for walking out on me. Don’t apologize for what happened before it.” The commander’s voice was authoritative, her eyes cool and narrowed as she struggled to regain her breath.

“I would have if you had not so rudely interrupted.” Garrus lied, but he changed his story as soon as he saw the commander’s face. “I want to apologize for walking out on you. It was uncalled for, and I shouldn’t have left you standing there alone.”

“You’re right, you shouldn’t have.” A flicker of mischief danced over the commander’s face, and the turian felt slight fear and anticipation stir in his stomach. “Now you’ll just have to make up to me for it.”

Garrus’s mandibles pulled back in a smile. “Now that, I can do. But first: Moreau, get off the intercom.” The turian chuckled as he watched Elizabeth’s face change quickly from confusion to surprise to anger, and he had to hold onto her to keep her from going and attacking the man.

“You guys never let me have any fun.”


	4. Cleaning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Garrus/Fem Shepard
> 
> Shep's a little more renegade in this one.

 “You’re cleaning.” Shepard’s head peeked over her cot from her place on the floor, glaring harshly at the intruder. “You never clean unless something’s wrong.”

 “Something is wrong, this whole ship is a mess, and I plan to correct it.” Shepard said as she resumed her rummaging beneath the bed, pulling out old boxes of discs. Garrus gave her a look that was the equivalent of an eyebrow raise. He was leaning against the frame of her door, preventing the two pieces of metal from closing and allowing the woman the privacy she wanted. “Are you going to continue to stand there watching me or are you going to get out?” The woman spat, her harsh words causing her partner to wince. But he didn’t answer her. Instead, he moved inside the chamber, taking a seat on the couch in the leftmost corner of the room.

 Again, Shepard looked up, but she also stood, this time. She brushed her bangs out of her face, scowling at the turian who had made himself so comfortable in her room. “Did I give you permission to-“

 “No you didn’t, but I did it anyways, because as your second in command and friend, I know you well enough to know that something is really wrong, and you’re going to come over here and talk to me about it.” Garrus interrupted, a very bold move on his part. Shepard wasn’t having it today.

 “There’s nothing to talk about, Garrus! So why don’t you go work on some calibrations or check on the crew, or do something else besides follow me around for a change?” The woman asked as she slammed down the box of discs on her bed. The items inside jostled noisily, but the bed did little to make it an intimidating act. Garrus had to hold back a smirk, knowing it would only irritate the commander further.

 “Are you finished?” The turian questioned, blinking once as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He never once took his eyes off her.

 “I will be once you stop bugging me and get the hell out of my chambers, Vakarian.”

 “You’ve never seemed to mind my presence in here before, Shepard.”

 “That’s ‘Commander’ to you, Vakarian.”

 “Is the use of my last name supposed to wound me Shepard? Because if it is, it only furthers my suspicions.” Garrus now stood, slowly making his way across the room. Shepard remained where she was, and snorted.

 “Just get out.” She ordered, turning her back to the alien as he neared her.

 “Why, Shepard?” He was only a few steps away from her now, and he could see her body shaking.

 “Because I am your commanding officer, and I gave you a direct order to get out of my bed chambers!” The woman probably meant the words to be threatening, but they came out choked.

 “That’s not going to happen, Shepard.” The turian placed a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder, and she nearly collapsed beneath his touch. He caught her, pulling her close to him as the tears began to quickly fall. His usual body armor had been exchanged for some more comfortable clothing, allowing Shepard to bury her face in her friend’s chest without the cold feeling of the body armor getting in the way.  She cried for what seemed like hours, but was really only a few minutes. Garrus held her the whole time, ignoring the vid discs that still lay out upon her bed, all video diaries that Shepard had created to cope with the past few years, but now just served as painful memories.


End file.
